


Love Is Like A Drug

by aleera21



Category: The Brittas Empire
Genre: Drug-Induced Sex, F/M, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:57:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13823100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleera21/pseuds/aleera21
Summary: The usual chaos ensues when Brittas accidentally consumes a drugged plant. However, it offers him and Laura an opportunity to make clear their true feelings for each other.This story is set during series 4--after the hypnotism but before Michael's return.





	1. Loving Hallucinations

“I mean, there are people out there, and if they had half your decency and a quarter of your desire to do just the right thing…. It makes me so angry, I get—”

Then she had kissed him and walked out. Being the gentleman that he was, he’d never mentioned it. A second, even briefer, kiss had occurred too. He’d been hypnotised to get through an important dinner, and the effects were to wear off at midnight. She’d felt like Cinderella as she’d stolen a quick kiss and hurried out with seconds to spare. She’d looked through the restaurant window and seen her prince turn… well… back into a frog.

Laura allowed herself a faint smile as she sat alone in the staffroom. A frog he might be, but she loved him anyway, despite everything. It wasn’t to be though. She was technically still married, and he loved his wife too much ever to cheat on her.

She pushed a few stray locks behind her ear and picked up her coffee mug. Taking a sip, she considered Brittas’ wife. Helen was a friend, but Laura still found herself getting vexed with her at times. Helen was nowhere near as faithful to Gordon as he was to her. Laura shook her head. It was pointless thinking like this. She had work to do.

She downed what was left of her coffee, then retrieved her clipboard. She was ready for the day and whatever disasters it would bring. Because at Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre no day went by without something terrible happening!

***

Gordon Brittas strode purposefully through the door. “Morning Carole,” he called out as he headed for the stairs.

“Oh, Mr Brittas!” replied Carole, looking startled.

Brittas paused on the steps and turned back. “Is that how we greet the public, Carole?” He leant forward expectantly.

“Welcome to Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre, and how may I help you?”

“And?”

“A smile,” answered Carole, dragging her lips upwards in the approximation of said expression.

“Eeeexcellent,” drawled Brittas, before climbing the stairs to his office.

***

Moments later, Helen Brittas hurried in. She looked flustered, her hair wild. She carried her usual large bag, but today she also bore a small crate.

“Morning Carole.”

“Morning Mrs Brittas,” Carole mumbled. “What do you have there?”

Helen placed the crate on the desk. “You know that chemistry teacher who sells me those great pills? Well, today he had these lettuce things, too, and I thought I’d make Gordon some sandwiches.”

“What a lovely idea. Mr Brittas is always saying how important a balanced diet is, and he does like it so very much when you pop in for lunch.”

“What? Oh, no, I’m not staying. I have to get back for lunch with my lawyer.”

“Oh, Mrs Brittas, what happened this time?”

“Sorry? Oh, I see what you mean. No, nothing’s wrong. It’s a… social… meeting.” She cast a guilty glance towards the staircase that led to the manager’s office.

“Shall I make up the sandwiches for you, so that you can get away?” offered Carole.

“Would you?” With that, Helen dashed out the door.

“You’re welcome. Have a nice day,” muttered Carole to the now-empty foyer.

***

Brittas sat at his desk, looking through some papers. Leaning to his right, he pressed down on the intercom. “Julie, could you ask Laura to come and see me, please?”

“I’m busy!” came the muffled response.

With a slight shake of his head, Brittas sank back in his chair, flaring his nostrils.

Suddenly, the door to his office flew open and Colin charged in, wearing elbow-length black rubber gloves that were covered in something indescribably horrid.

“Mr Brittas, thank God I’ve found you. It’s another catastrophe!” He swung his arms dramatically, spraying lumps of whatever was on his gloves around the room.

Brittas observed this with distaste, but first there was a more pressing matter to address. “Colin!”

“Sorry, Mr Brittas.” Immediately recognising his fault, Colin closed the door and, still standing inside the room, knocked three times.

“What is it, Colin?”

“It’s the first-floor ladies toilets again, Mr Brittas. There’s a lot of waste just stuck up there behind one of the u-bends. I’ve been feeling around, but I can’t seem to shift it.”

“Look, I’m rather busy, Colin. What would you do if I wasn’t here, eh?” He paused for effect. “You’d have to deal with it yourself, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, Mr Brittas,” Colin admitted forlornly.

“Well then, deal with it, Colin.”

“Right away, Mr Brittas.” Colin gave a vague salute that sent more muck flying. He opened the door, stood aside to allow Carole to enter, and then slipped out, leaving a trail of goo in his wake.

“And get someone to come and clean up this mess,” Brittas called after him, before turning his attention to Carole and the tray she was carrying. “What’s all this then, Carole?”

“Mrs Brittas thought you might like some sandwiches, Mr Brittas,”

“Helen was here?” Brittas smiled widely. “An angel that woman is, Carole. Well, just set them down there and get back to reception, please.”

“Yes, Mr Brittas,” whimpered Carole.

There came another knock on the door.

“Come in!” Brittas called out.

Laura entered, and held the door open. When Carol had departed, she pushed it shut, avoiding the sticky handle, and turned to Brittas. “You wanted to see me, Mr Brittas?”

“Ah, Laura. I’d like you to go down to the pool area. I’ve had a report that someone dropped a sweet wrapper. The last thing we want is for some small child to eat it, then fall into the pool and drown as they try to cough it up.”

“Indeed, Mr Brittas,”

“Then see if anyone can identify the culprit. When they’re found, bring them straight to me for a little chat about littering.”

“Anything else?”

“Not for now, thank you, Laura.” Brittas reached for one of the sandwiches and waved it in the air. “Would you like one?”

“No, thank you, Mr Brittas. I’d better deal with that sweet wrapper right away.”

Brittas watched her leave, observing how her hips swayed gently beneath her gym skirt as she walked.

No.

He was a happily married man who loved his wife. Was this any way to repay his dear, sweet little Helen, who had even thought to bring him lunch? No. He admired Laura—she was a fine woman, and it seemed she had a certain fondness for him. Maybe if things had been different…. But they weren’t.

He banished all such thoughts and settled back in his chair. Then he took a first bite of the sandwich.


	2. Strange Happenings

Gordon Brittas was poised to raise the fifth sandwich to his lips when he started to feel a little strange. It wasn’t easy to describe—just an ‘odd’ sort of feeling. Gosh, it was warm. He pulled off his blazer and slung it over the back of the chair. He could feel the sweat running down his face now. He yanked at his tie and discarded that too. It was no good; he just felt hotter than before. He rose abruptly, but had to pause as a dizzy spell hit him. He needed to find some water. He gingerly made his way across the room. He barely registered the gunk that Colin had left behind on the door handle as he grasped it and pulled the door open, heading out into the leisure centre.

***

Gavin looked up as Tim and Linda came hurtling down the corridor towards him. “What’s the matter?” he called out as they passed.

“It’s Mr Brittas,” panted Linda over her shoulder as she ran. “He’s gone mad. He flooded the toilets and has now jumped, fully clothed, into the pool.”

“Goodness!” exclaimed Gavin, setting off after them.

***

Brittas had gone to the staffroom first, in search of something to cool him down. He’d drunk three large bottles of mineral water there, but it hadn’t helped. Then he’d headed through to the staff toilets. He’d flung on all the taps, splashing water onto his face. It had made no difference. He’d started to panic a little, until a thought had occurred to him. Laura. Laura would know what to do!

He’d left the taps running and headed for the pool. It had been empty apart from Patrick, who was on lifeguard duty. Laura had already departed. He’d been set to continue the search for her, but then he’d realised that he’d found the answer to his problems: the pool and all that water. That would cool him off in no time. With this idea in mind, he’d thrown himself in and promptly blacked out.

***

Laura arrived at the pool just as they were pulling him out. She hurried across to find him unconscious, with the others standing over him. She immediately took command.

“Okay, Gavin, Tim, let’s get him up to his office. Carefully, please!”

They struggled up the stairs and deposited him on the couch in his room. Laura considered it to have been a fairly successful operation. Gavin and Tim had only smacked Brittas’ head against the wall twice, and she thought the second time had been a genuine accident.

“What on earth’s wrong with him?” asked Linda as they all stood staring yet again.

“I don’t know, but we need to find out.”

A spluttering erupted behind her, and Laura turned in time to see Tim spitting out what appeared to be a sandwich.

“Urgh. What is that?” he demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Let me see,” Laura said, hoping against hope that Colin hadn’t made it. She fingered one of the dubious-looking, dark green leaves. “Where did these come from?”

“I think Carole was making them earlier,” Linda offered.

“Linda, take over at reception, please, and ask Carole to come up here. Send for Colin too.”

“Right away,” Linda replied, before running off.

Laura knelt beside Brittas and felt for his pulse. It was a little fast, but he seemed stable. Really, they should ring for an ambulance, but when the paramedics had come by yesterday, they’d threatened no more visits this week. She’d have to deal with it on her own.

Carole arrived, looking panicked.

“You made those sandwiches, Carole?”

“Yes, Laura,” Carole replied. “You see, Mrs Brittas had to hurry off, so I said—”

“Helen? Helen gave you this salad?”

Colin’s arrival interrupted their discussion. He raced in, only to break down upon seeing his revered leader incapacitated. “Oh, Mr Brittas!” he all but sobbed. “What has happened to him, Laura?”

“You might be able to help us work that out, Colin,” said Laura firmly, trying to pull his attention back from the pathetic-looking figure on the couch. “You know about plants and such. What are these?”

Colin took the proffered leaf and examined it closely. He ran his finger over both sides, licked it, and then took a very small bite. “Well, well,” he said at last. “These are very rare indeed, Laura. They only grow in one part of the world.”

“But what are they?” Laura pressed, growing impatient.

“They are known as ‘dream flowers’ to the tribe who live near their place of origin,” began Colin. “They come from a remote part of South Africa where—”

“Hang on,” said Gavin. “Are you going to tell us they’re some kind of drug?”

“In a way, yes, Gavin,” answered Colin. “The tribe uses them to question their prisoners.”

“But what is happening to Mr Brittas, and how do we stop it?” asked Laura quickly, before Colin could begin a whole history of the tribe.

“Well, how long it lasts will depend on how much he ate, but he seems to be in the second stage now. First there is a sensation of heat, which makes the subject want to rip off all their clothes. I guess that explains the dip in the pool. Next there is a blackout. He should wake again soon, and when he does, he’ll feel the need to tell all his secrets, all his desires, all the things he’d hate for anyone ever to know.”

“Oooh, let’s stay around for that then,” interjected Julie, who’d heard the noise and popped in from the antechamber.

“And then?” prompted Laura, ignoring Julie.

“Well,” concluded Colin thoughtfully, “then I believe he’ll have another blackout, and after that he should wake up with no memory of what has happened. Though he will have a sense of happiness and wellbeing. At that point, the tribe would usually kill him.”

“Well,” said Tim, “we don’t want to break with tradition. I’ll get the axe.”

“Right. Everyone out!” demanded Laura, paying no heed to the whines of protest. She turned to Colin. “You’re sure he’s in no danger?”

“Oh, no, Laura. He’ll be perfectly fine and happy once it wears off. Quite his old self again.”

“Good,” muttered Laura with a slight grimace. “In that case, I want everyone back to work. We have a centre to run. I’ll stay with Mr Brittas until it’s over, and no one, and I mean no one, is to enter this room again before then. Oh, and Julie, better call Helen and make sure she doesn’t have any more of this stuff lying around.”

“Take good care of him, Laura,” added Colin sadly as she bundled him out along with the others.

Once everyone was gone, Laura shut the main door and propped a chair against it. She then did the same with the door leading to the antechamber where Julie worked. The room secured, she approached the couch, carefully raised Brittas’ head and shoulders, and slid onto the seat. Then she gently lowered his head onto her lap and waited.


	3. Do You Swear To Tell The Truth?

The others, having left the office, made their way back to their posts, chattering excitedly about what had happened. Eventually, only Tim and Colin remained.

“Of course,” said Tim, matter-of-factly, “you know why we had to leave.”

“Indeed,” answered Colin. “It was so that Laura could care for him without interruptions.”

“Oh, she wants to care for him alright,” agreed Tim with a smirk.

Colin stopped walking. “What exactly are you implying?”

“Just that for some unfathomable reason, Laura seems to like Brittas—more than like, in fact—and this is a chance for her to ‘have her way with him’.”

“Tim! Laura is a kind and considerate woman, and Mr Brittas is an honourable man. I want no more of this ridiculous gossip!” With that, he stormed towards his basement.

“Whatever you say, Colin,” grumbled Tim as he headed to the cafeteria. 

Colin had forgotten about the blocked u-bend, and, in the excitement, no one had remembered that the taps were still running in the staff toilets.

***

Laura didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there. At one point, she’d considered getting a blanket to cover him, but she hadn’t wanted to move in case she disturbed him. Her lap was damp. The water from his hair and clothes had seeped through her gym skirt, making her upper legs clammy. She didn’t mind. Luckily, the day was fairly warm.

She looked down at him and gently ran her fingers through his hair. It was nearly dry now, and the short brown curls she so loved sprang back into place. She caressed them. He seemed so peaceful lying there. He shifted slightly and loosed a soft sigh, a smile forming on his lips. Suddenly, she realised that his eyes had opened and he was looking up at her.

“Mr Brittas,” she spluttered. “How are you feeling?”

He sat up. “I feel... wet.”

Laura leapt out of the seat and strode to one of the cupboards. She pulled out a leisure centre towel and handed it to him. She sat next to him, watching him closely as he tried to wipe down his hair and clothing. He seemed fine, except he was somewhat subdued.

“How many sandwiches did you eat earlier, Mr Brittas?”

He thought for a moment. “Four complete and one bite from a fifth.”

Laura was faintly disturbed by this news. That was quite a lot. She thought it might be a good idea to consult with Colin again, and headed for the door. “Wait here and don’t leave the office. I need to see Colin for a moment, but I’ll return.”

“No.”

Laura glanced back at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to go,” Brittas returned, a little sullenly.

“But why?” she asked without thinking. “I’ll be back in a moment and—”

“Because I love you.”

Laura stopped dead, her gaze fixed on the door. Her heart was beating fast. She could also feel the blush spreading slowly across her cheeks. If what Colin had said was right, Brittas was obliged to tell her the truth. A number of possibilities entered her mind. At first, she tried to resist them on moral grounds. He was drugged and not in his right mind. And yet… he was telling the truth. The drug wasn’t making him feel anything he didn’t already feel. It’s just that he wouldn’t have expressed it before.

She turned back towards him, and jumped. While she’d been thinking, he’d approached and was now directly behind her. She decided. She would give him the chance to initiate something, but if he didn’t, she wouldn’t begin anything herself. She thought quickly about Helen, yet found herself unable to drum up any sense of guilt. Why should Gordon be faithful when Helen wasn’t?

“Gordon,” she said calmly, wondering how to phrase her question, “is there anything you’d like to do right now?”

“Yes.”

“Then I think you should do it.” 

Gordon pulled Laura close and kissed her passionately. The action briefly caught Laura off guard, but once the surprise passed, she responded eagerly, shuddering with pleasure as their tongues touched. It felt so right. It felt as if it were meant to be. Nothing remained but the two of them, locked in an embrace.

They made their way back to the couch, and fell upon it, with her beneath him. He tugged her shirt loose and slid his hand under the material to cup her breast through the soft cotton of her bra. Laura moved her hands to the front of his shirt, trying not to break the kiss while she worked at the buttons. As she finished the last one, he moved back, and she watched as he stripped off the garment. She knew he kept fit and worked out; however, she hadn’t expected him to be so wonderfully toned. She moved her hands across his chest, but when he grasped the hem of her top, she obligingly paused her explorations and raised her arms so he could remove the shirt and fling it to the floor.

Gordon eased Laura back down and fell to kissing her once more. He trailed his lips along her neck to the curve of her breast. Then he reached behind her back and fumbled with the clasp till her bra came loose. She gave a soft moan as he sucked at her nipple. He moved one hand under her skirt, tugging gently at her underwear. She lifted her hips for him, and he pulled downwards, moving the knickers out of the way. In the next moment, he slid his fingers between her legs.

Laura groaned with pleasure. She fumbled for his belt, still not quite able to believe this was really happening. It was like a dream. She was so deeply aroused she could barely think straight through her passion. Even getting his zipper undone was proving a challenge. Without warning, he moved off her and stood. For a moment, she panicked, wondering what had happened, but then she saw that he had only risen to remove the last of his clothing.

Seconds later, he was back on top of her, kissing her deeply. He pushed slowly inside. His fingers tangled in her hair. He began to move to a slow rhythm, and she met each of his thrusts, moaning his name as her passion peaked.

As Gordon Brittas came, a further torrent exploded in the first-floor ladies toilets. The pressure had been building all morning and now released in a geyser.


	4. I Have A Dream

Laura and Brittas had dressed again and now lay in each other’s arms on the couch. At first she’d spoken to him a little, but he only responded when asked a direct question, so in the end she gave up. She didn’t want to pry too far into his secrets. Besides, it was quite nice having him silent. She found herself wishing he could always stay so. That thought finally snapped her back to reality, as she recalled that the drugs could wear off at any time.

“Gordon? Mr Brittas?” she whispered.

No reply.

Shifting in his arms, she turned to look at him. His eyes were closed. She shook him slightly. Nothing. The second blackout, she guessed. She felt a little disappointed, even though she’d known this would happen. She decided after a moment that she ought to get up before he regained consciousness.

It was when she left the couch that she noticed the problem: a watery mess all over the floor. She splashed her way to the door and kicked aside the chair. The corridor outside was a river a couple of centimetres deep. She returned to the room and hurried to the desk, flicking on the microphone to make an announcement.

***

Evacuation....

Flood....

Danger....

Staff call....

These words floated through Gordon Brittas’ mind, and his eyes shot open. Any danger to his precious Centre was something worth waking for. He jumped up, feeling energised and ready for anything. For a second, he wondered why he’d been asleep on the couch in the middle of the day, but he decided that wasn’t important. Seeing Laura by the desk, he strode over.

“It’s okay, Laura. I’ll take over from here.” He spoke into the microphone. “This is Gordon Brittas, manager of the leisure centre. Do not panic, but make your way quickly and safely to the nearest exit. May I remind staff that this is a red-alert situation, so they shouldn’t worry about pulling any dead bodies out with them for now. Instead, they should lead any surviving members of the public to the designated meeting points.”

After finishing his speech, he shot off out of the room, with Laura following close behind.

***

A few hours later, Brittas and the staff stood outside, waiting while the firemen and water services worked to drain the building.

“You’re not hungry, are you, Mr Brittas?” Linda asked eagerly. “I could make you a sandwich!”

“No sandwich, thank you, Linda,” Brittas replied, a little irritated. Ever since they’d made it out, various members of staff had been asking him about sandwiches. Suddenly, it came to him. In a moment of revelation, he knew why!

“Nyaaaaaah,” exclaimed Brittas, nodding knowingly. “I see what this is about. It’s a game, isn’t it? You’re seeing who will be first to get me to say a certain phrase. An exercise in team building.”

“Yes, indeed, Mr Brittas,” Laura said. “Nothing gets past you.”

“Eeeexcellent!” he drawled, happy in both his own brilliance and the high morale his team displayed in the midst of a crisis.

They finally received the all clear and traipsed back into the Centre. As they entered the foyer, Colin hurried towards them.

“I found it, Mr Brittas!”

“Found what, Colin?”

“The cause of the blockage,” replied Colin, holding up a dirty, bedraggled-looking item. “Someone let their hairband fall into the toilet, and then must have just flushed it away.”

“Laura,” called Brittas, “let’s place a ban of those things, shall we?”

“Certainly, Mr Brittas.”

***

The next morning, Laura made her way through the building towards the manager’s office. Everything was definitely back to normal now—or as normal as it ever got. The rest of the staff had been warned not to mention anything of the previous day’s events to Mr Brittas, and Laura had also spoken to Helen, to ensure there would be no more drugged sandwiches for lunch. She’d explained most of what had happened, leaving out only one important detail. She didn’t believe Helen would be that bothered, but she would never knowingly tell her anyway—for Gordon’s sake.

As she reached the door, she felt momentarily sad. Part of her knew that it was better he didn’t remember what had taken place between them. However, another part wished that he did. That short interlude with him had meant so much to her, and it was hard to accept that, as far as he was concerned, none of it had ever happened.

She knocked, turning the handle only after she’d heard the familiar, “Come in.” She set to work straightaway, going through the new staff rota. She was halfway through before she paused, suddenly aware that he was staring at her intently.

“Is something wrong, Mr Brittas?”

“No, not really, Laura,” Brittas replied thoughtfully. “It was just that I was remembering my dream.”

“Your dream is always very much in your mind, isn’t it?” she said softly.

“Indeed it is, Laura, but that wasn’t what I meant. I was thinking of a very strange dream I had yesterday, when I fell asleep on the couch there.”

Laura’s heart missed a beat. “What was it about?” she asked, a little too quickly.

Brittas looked at her for a moment; then he turned away and stared out the window. “Oh, nothing important. I should probably forget about it.”

“But,” Laura suggested carefully, “surely we should never forget our dreams. Dreams can be important, after all.”

“You’re quite right, Laura.” Brittas’ expression became serene, and he got the far-away look in his eye that always appeared when he thought of his favourite subject. “I have a dream…” he began, only to pause and look back at Laura. “By the way, did you catch the person who dropped that sweet wrapper the other day?”

“I’m afraid not,” Laura confessed, trying not to laugh.

“We’ll have to keep more careful watch in future, Laura. We want the Centre to be a safe place where people can come to”—he gestured—“be together.”

Laura smiled. “You’re quite right, Mr Brittas.”

It didn’t matter that he didn’t know his dream had been real. At least he had some memory of their time together. She would certainly never forget it.

_Yes_ , she thought. _Coming together is important. So are dreams. And so is a balanced diet, with sandwiches for lunch._


End file.
